What is Best in Life

Five Easy Pieces is a movie about alienation. Of course that is an awfully broad subject, and one that is perennially in fashion for artsy fartsy film directors. What distinguishes Five Easy Pieces from the slew of movies on the subject is the complexity of its portrayal of a fundamental inability to connect. Foundational American New Wave director Bob Rafelson (in his first “real” movie) created a film of such startling depth that it makes even the best work from Antonioni seem woefully shallow by comparison. There are no rich people standing around looking bored here, the characters are no cookie cutter caricatures, but real people with human emotions.
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This series of “my favorite movies in the whole world” is going to get increasingly silly as no one can really say what their 34th favorite movie of all time is, but since we’re only at number three, I’ll probably keep going for at least a few more entries.
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Now, I know a lot of you are saying to yourselves: “What is this, Isley is giving dating advice for nerds? What could a cool cat like him possibly know about the subject?” Well, while I have always been affectionately known as “The I-Dogg” by “tha ladies”, I realize that not everyone was able to master the intricacies of the mind of the fairer sex by late Junior High. I call these poor souls “nerds”, but there is no reason I can’t share my wealth of insight with those less socially gifted than myself. So, not to worry, I have outlined my simple ten step program (culled from years of research on the subject) for your next first date below. Take these nerd “first date” laws to heart and you might just find out what it is like to experience that mythical thing known as a “second date”.
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